


Sick caretaker

by GratefulLurkingAnon



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Fever, Flu, Gen, sick, sneeze
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-11
Updated: 2018-05-11
Packaged: 2019-05-05 10:32:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,924
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14616507
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GratefulLurkingAnon/pseuds/GratefulLurkingAnon





	Sick caretaker

A cold had slowly started to take over Keith. Maybe the first symptoms he noticed besides his raspy throat was his lips getting dry and starting to sting. Soon, watery mucus came down his nose and he started to feel more tired and just generally crappy.  They were supposed to go to the space mall that day to find some spare parts and other supplies but Keith would’ve rather stayed behind. He didn’t think his cold was really all that bad and didn’t want people to think he wanted attention or was overreacting over something minor. Not going without giving a good reason was not an option since Coran had already given everyone a list of things they were charge of finding.  Others, especially Lance, would just think Keith was being selfish and lazy.

   Keith didn’t want to tell anyone about his cold, not even to Shiro, but somehow he instinctively started searching for Shiro. Keith found Shiro talking with Allura.

   “Shiro, you should stay behind and get some rest. You’re clearly ill,” Allura told to pale man holding his head.

    “Can’t argue with that. I’ll go back to the bed,” Shiro told hoarsely. He swayed a little and placed his robot arm against the wall to help him stay upright.

   Shiro was… Sick? Well, when looking at his pale, sweaty face, it was kinda obvious but how Keith hadn’t noticed that before? “Shiro, what’s wrong?” Keith asked, walking closer to Shiro and Allura.

   “Keith, can you help Shiro back to his room? I’ll go get something to bring his fever down,” Allura told.

   “You have a fever?” Keith asked from Shiro when he lifted Shiro’s arm over his own shoulder.

   “It seems so,” Shiro replied and coughed a little.

   Keith walked Shiro back to his room and after Shiro had lied down, Keith tried to find out if there was anything Shiro needed. “Shiro, are you thirsty? Nauseous? Cold? I- Do you want me to… Get you something?” Keith inquired.

   “No, I think I’m okay as long as I lie down. You can go back to the others, they probably will leave to the mall soon,” Shiro told.

   “I’ll stay here with you,” Keith stated clearly sounding eager to stay behind. Good thing Shiro was a bit dazed and didn’t find that weird.

   “Thanks,” Shiro told.

   “I’ll… Go to get you some water,” Keith said and left the room. When he was walking towards the kitchen to get Shiro some water pouches, he felt his nose prickling. Keith sniffed, then gasped quickly, closing his eyes shortly then opening his right eye, and covered his nose and mouth. Keith let out few stifled sneezes.  His nose started to run and his hand got wet from spit and watery snot. Keith gave a small, displeased groan before wiping his hand to his shirt.

   Keith was supposed to grab water for Shiro but he himself felt thirsty and sat down on the floor to drink before taking out multiple water pouches to take back for Shiro. Keith felt shitty but that was probably nothing compared to how Shiro was currently feeling. After all, Shiro had trouble even standing on his feet and Keith probably would be able even to fight if he had to.

   When Keith returned, Allura was already in Shiro’s room. She had placed a cold compress on Shiro’s forehead. Allura had also brought some water pouches. Keith placed the ones he brought in the same pile.

   “Keith, I thought you were going to the space mall with the others,” Allura told.

   “I’ll stay here and take care of Shiro,” Keith said.

  “I guess I’ll leave him to you then,” Allura replied and left the room.

   Since Shiro was asleep, there wasn’t really much Keith could do. He just waited besides Shiro’s bed, sniffling quietly. When Keith started to get bored from sitting still, he stood up and stared Shiro’s sleeping face. Keith thought he should re-drench the towel to make it cold again. He tried to be careful not to wake Shiro up when taking off the towel. Keith put the towel in a water-filled basin and shuddered when his hands came in touch with the ice cold water.

   Keith wringed the towel and placed it back on Shiro’s forehead. Keith rubbed his hands to warm them. The cold water had made his nose run again. The snot started to get thicker and Keith started to feel more congested. 

  “Tissues,” was the only thought in Keith’s mind when he left the room. He went to the bathroom, blew his nose and took the whole box of tissues with him. He couldn’t blow his nose in Shiro’s room since it made too much noise but he could probably leave the room for that or something. And say he brought the tissues for Shiro, not himself.

   When Keith returned, Shiro was still asleep. Keith leaned his back against Shiro’s bed. After sitting still long, his eyes started to close by themselves. Keith fell asleep but after a short while, got shaken up awake.

   “Keith, don’t sleep on the floor,” Shiro told.

   “Shiro… Sniff..Do you feel any better? Did your… Fever go down?” Keith asked with slightly nasal voice and touched Shiro’s forehead. It didn’t feel hot. “It did. That’s good.”

   “I don’t think you should worry about me now, Keith, climb up next to me,” Shiro told. Shiro was too dizzy to stand up but he was worried about Keith. Keith was shivering.

   “N-no, I’m fine, I just dozed off from boredom,” Keith said.

   “Please?” Shiro asked, but his tone was demanding.

   Keith gave up. He crawled under Shiro’s blanket. Shiro put his arms around Keith. Keith’s face was against Shiro’s chest. Keith groaned tiredly. His nose began to itch again.  Keith tried to push himself away from Shiro. “N-no, l-ah-let go-I’m-Uah-Ha-H’KSHA! Ung-H’KSKH!”

   Shiro felt Keith twitching against his body from the force of the sneezes and something wet on his shirt.

   Keith realized to his horror Shiro’s shirt was now covered in his snot. “I-I’m sorry… I tried to warn you but uh- I- I’ll clean it up.. I’ll get you another shirt I- H’CKSH!”

   “Keith it’s fine, just stay down,” Shiro told.

   “It’s not fine, it’s disgusting,” Keith replied.  “There’s some tissues on the table, let me grab them.”

   Shiro let go of Keith. Keith stood up and took bunch of tissues. He wiped off the snot on Shiro’s shirt, then blew his nose on a different tissue.  Having time to collect his thoughts and wake up properly, Keith remembered that he was in charge of taking care of Shiro.

   “Shiro, are you hungry…? ” Keith asked.

   “Keith, don’t-”

   “I’M FINE,” Keith snapped and immediately regretted yelling at Shiro. “Sorry, I… I’ll go get you something to eat,” Keith apologized and exited the room before Shiro had time to reply to him.

   Thinking that maybe food goo wasn’t really something to give for a sick person, Keith started to go through the ingredients Hunk had gathered. Nothing seemed familiar. Then Keith remembered there was left over food in the fridge, he could try to make a soup using those.

   Keith put a pot on the stove and filled it with water, then started to taste test the foods to decide what to put in the soup. He used some spaghetti Hunk made, some space vegetables and some kind of meat. Keith tasted the soup and it didn’t really taste much like anything, which probably was better than space goo. He poured the soup on a bowl and put a spoon in it, then took the soup for Shiro.

   “I didn’t know we had soup,” Shiro told.

   “I made it using leftovers from fridge,” Keith said.

   “Thank you,” Shiro said. He took a spoonful of the soup and made a weird face. Keith noticed this.

   “Is… There something wrong with the soup?” Keith asked.

   “Um no, it’s fine,” Shiro said, trying to spare Keith’s feelings. After all, Keith had gone through the trouble to prepare the soup for Shiro. But it tasted a bit weird. Not as bad as the space goo but Keith had put some kind of fruit salad in it.

   Keith took the bowl away from Shiro and tasted the soup again. It still didn’t taste much like anything and he was wondering what was wrong with it.

   Shiro realized what had gone wrong with the soup. The cold had numbed Keith’s sense of taste and it tasted different for him than it did for Shiro.

  “I’ll… Go warm up some leftovers instead…” Keith finally told. But before he could leave, Allura entered the room.

   “I thought I should come to check on Shiro. Do you still have a fever?” Allura asked and placed her hand on Shiro’s forehead. “It seems so.”

   “Well, it sure did go back up fast then,” Shiro told, remembering how Keith earlier told Shiro that his fever had gone down. Seeing Keith trying to stealthily exit the room with the soup, Shiro realized the same thing Keith probably had just figured out. “Keith, come back here, let Allura check your temperature too.”

   “Keith?” Allura asked. Since she had been worried about Shiro, she hadn’t paid much attention to Keith before. Now she thought she should’ve. Keith quickly exited the room but Allura got a glimpse of his flushed face. She dashed after Keith and brought him back to Shiro’s room.

 

 Allura took the soup bowl from Keith and placed it on the table. Then she made him sit next to Shiro’s bed and placed her hand on both Keith’s and Shiro’s foreheads. Keith’s fever was actually higher than Shiro’s. That would explain why Keith thought Shiro’s fever had gone down.

   “Human illnesses seem to be transmitted quite fast,” Allura said.

   “No, not this fast, Keith, why didn’t you say anything before?” Shiro asked.

   “Because you seemed so sick, it felt dumb to complain about a small cold…” Keith muttered.

   Shiro sighed. “Listen, just because someone else seems to be more ill than you, it doesn’t mean you should downplay your own illness like this.”

   “Sorry,” Keith told, unable to come up with anything else to defend himself.

   “Okay, Keith, you go to the bed too,” Allura commanded.

   Keith grabbed some tissues and water pouches before heading to his room. He sat on his bed, wrapped the blanket around himself and leaned his back against the wall. Keith poked the straw on the water pouch and just sat in his bed, sipping the water.

 Allura came in with a water basin and forced Keith to lie down so she could place the cold towel on his forehead. Keith wasn’t sure if it was just a coincidence but when the cold wet towel touched the bridge of his nose, he rolled on his side and sneezed, dropping the towel off. Keith grabbed a tissue and blew his nose and just left the used tissue on his bed.

   Allura placed the towel back on Keith, this time a bit higher so it would only cover his forehead. After making sure Keith would be okay on his own, Allura left the room and leaved Keith to rest.

   Keith was wondering how he managed to fall asleep earlier on Shiro’s room since his runny nose was not letting him to rest. After an hour, he gave up, threw the towel on the water basin and sat up, bundled in his blanket, leaning against the wall. Keith closed his eyes and this time, it didn’t take long for him to fall asleep.


End file.
